Pollution Characteristics and Risk Assessments of Mercury in Jiutai, a County Region Thriving on Coal Mining in Northeastern China

Yuliang Xiao, Gang Zhang, Jiaxu Guo, Zhe Zhang, Hongyi Wang, Yang Wang, Zhaojun Wang, Hailong Yuan () and Dan Cui ()
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Yuliang Xiao: School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China
Gang Zhang: School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China
Jiaxu Guo: School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China
Zhe Zhang: School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China
Hongyi Wang: School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China
Yang Wang: School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China
Zhaojun Wang: School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China
Hailong Yuan: Institute of Ice and Snow Economy, Jilin International Studies University, Changchun 130117, China
Dan Cui: School of English, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing 100089, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 16, 1-20

Abstract: Among human activities, coal mining and the combustion of fossil fuels are important sources of mercury in the environment. Research on mercury pollution in coal mining areas and surrounding cities, especially in densely populated areas, has always been at the forefront of this research field. In order to study the characteristics of environmental mercury pollution in small and medium-sized coal mining areas and surrounding towns in China, this study selected the main urban area of Jiutai District, a typical mining town in the Changchun City circle industrial base in northeast China, as the research object. In this study, the geo-accumulation index ( I geo ) was used to study the soil mercury pollution degree in Jiutai District, the potential ecological risk index (Er) was used to evaluate the potential ecological risk of soil mercury in the study area, and the human exposure risk assessment model was used to evaluate the non-carcinogenic risk of soil mercury to the human body. The results showed that 32% of the soil samples in the study area had a higher mercury content than the regional soil background value of Jilin Province (0.04 mg·kg −1 ). According to the I geo , 19% of the sample sites in the study area were polluted (index > 0). In general, the soil mercury pollution level in Jiutai District is low, and the polluted areas are mainly concentrated in the northeast of the study area. The Er of the soil mercury in the study area ranged from 7.2 to 522.0, with 32% of the sampling sites having a moderate or above potential ecological risk (Er > 40), and the potential ecological risk level of the soil mercury was higher in the northeast of the study area. The non-carcinogenic risk index ( HQ ) and total non-carcinogenic risk value ( HI ) of the soil mercury were all far less than 1, indicating that soil mercury pollution in the study area did not harm the health of local adults. The oral ingestion of soil mercury is the main form of human exposure to mercury.

Keywords: mercury; coal mine; urban soil; pollution characteristics; risk assessments; county (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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